Building your first car is a lot like raising your first child: time and effort seem immeasurable, mistakes made seem irreversible, and its success on the street relies on support received at home.

The relationship between Choi Durante and his 2014 Honda Civic Si is no exception. The Si is not only his first build but also his favorite model, and growing up as a child in the Philippines, Durante knew from a young age what would be his first purchase in America.

“When I bought the Si, I told my parents that I will just put tints on it,” Durante recalls. “Then I bought lowering springs, after that [came the] wheels and then the air suspension. Everything was a challenge to me. It was my first time in the car game – I’ve never built a car before.”

This is where Durante begins to differentiate from the mod scene, because unlike most, his passion derives from a must different source.

“I’m not actually a car enthusiast; I classify myself as an artist and building this car is the form of art for me. I’m not really after the performance parts.”

Well, if Durante isn’t chasing performance parts, where did all the time (six months) and money go?

Take a peak inside the interior and you’ll find it’s entirely wrapped in Porsche leather and Ferrari alcantara trimmings, from the headliners and pillars to the door inserts and dash. His audio game is on point as well. A two-piece Kicker CompR subwoofer, 8 and 10 inches, is protected by a customized enclosure and is coupled with Alpine amplifiers. The trunk has also been installed with a Lenovo 19-inch, all-in-one tablet. Then there are his blue and red Avant Garde F241 and F110 wheels, mirror-brushed chrome.

Being new to the scene, there are a few people to whom Durante would like to give a shout out on the East Coast.

“The owner of Modified Concepts, Danny, is an amazing guy! He helped me pick out the best wheels, because as I said, it’s my first season, [so] Danny did the sizing for me and gave me a great hook up,” Durante goes on to say. “Ryan from Exact Art worked by himself in building the whole interior – he is a beast!”

“Thank you to all my crew members from 9GensoSiety for pushing me…and shout out to my mom [for being] there for me.”

As is also so often the case, one build is not enough, so keep your eyes open for his 2016 Subaru WRX STi.

More Vehicle Features

Written by Mark Wei / Photography by Muhammad Balbed There aren’t many who can proudly proclaim that they’ve turned their high school daydreams into reality. Such aspirations are usually dashed by the harsh reality of adulthood and the responsibilities that…

A chocolate Tundra with some cool accessories: Building wild trucks in a short timeline for SEMA is no foreign subject to Brandon Burrell, and that’s exactly the kind of project he embarked on with his 2015 Toyota Tundra. After picking…

Gerard Patrick Gonzales fell in love with the Rocket Bunny Lexus RC as soon as he saw the one built by Importfest making its way across social media. The aggressive front grille design combined with the wild style of the…

Mark Berentson is one of many enthusiasts who were inspired by the likes of Paul Walker and the crew in the first Fast and Furious movie. It wasn’t long after that when he built a 1989 R32 GT-R powered by…

Thinking about your ride or dream car you drool over each night. Building a project car can quickly take on an exhilarating never-ending life of its own, and each item on your mod list only takes you deeper. We all…